Convertible chair and table.



I. HOFFMAN.

Patentedr Sept. 5, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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I ATTORNEYS I. HOFFMAN.

CONVERTIBLE CHAIR AND TABLE.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented Sept. 5,1911.

APFLIOATION FILED HAB. 20, 1911.

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0., WASHINGTON. D. C.

ISRAEL HOFFMAN, 0F NEV YORK, N. Y.

CONVERTIBLE CHAIR ANI) TABLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

Application led March20, 1911. Serial No. 615,661.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISRAEL HOFFMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New ork, have invented a new and Improved Convertible Chair and rI'able, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved convertible chair and table, arranged to permit of conveniently and quickly changing the table into a chair and vice versa, and when in the form of a chair a book rest is provided for reading purposes, electric lights for proper illumin nation of the reading matter, and a receiver for cigar or cigarette ashes, burned matches and the like.

For the purpose mentioned, use is made of a frame having horizontal arm rests, a chair seat, a combined chair back and table top provided with guideways and engaged by pivotal connections on the rear ends of the arm rests, to permit of swinging the said combined back and table top onto the top of the said arm rests, to provide a table, or to swing it into position on the rear end of the frame to form a chair.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a perspective view of the convertible chair and table set up to form a chair; Fig. 2 is a like view of the same ary ranged as a table; Fig. 8 is a rear elevation of the convertible chair and table arranged as a chair; F i0. I is a rear elevation of the convertible chair and table arranged as a table; Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the pivotal connection between the arm rest and a corresponding guideway on the combined chair back and table top; Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view of the same; Fig. 7 is a sectional side elevation of the same.; Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan view of the ash receiver with the cover thereof in open position; Fig. 9 is a sectional side elevation of the same; and Fig. 10 is a sectional side elevation of the book rest in folded and concealed position.

A frame A supports a chair seat B, and the sides C, C of the said frame project above the chair seat B and terminate at their upper ends in horizontally-disposed arm rests D, D. rIhe rear ends of the arm rests D, D have pivotal and sliding connections E with guideways F, arranged on the combined back and table top G so as to rest on the arm rests D andl D to form a table as shown in Fig. 2, or to be supported at the rear of the frame A in an upwardly and rearwardly inclined position to form a chair back, Fig. l.

The combined chair back and table top G consists of a middle section G and the side sections G2, G3 connected by hinges II with the sides of the middle sections G so as to permit of extending the side sections G2, G3 in alinement with the middle section G whenever it is desired to form a table top, or to allow of swinging the side sections G2, G3 onto the rear face of the middle section G when using the combined chair back and table top as a chair back, as indicated in Figs. l and 3. When the side sections G2 and G3 are folded upon the back of the middle section G then they are locked in this folded position by. the use of a cross bar I pivoted at I on the said section G2 and engaging with its free end a keeper I2 on the other side section G2, as is readily understood by reference to Fig. 3. The middle section G is so arranged relative to the arm rests D, D that when the combined chair back and table top rests on the arm rests D and D then the section G as well as the side sections G2 and G3 are supported on the arm rests D and D, the latter being of a sufiicient width for that purpose, and the pivotal and sliding connections E and the guideways F are correspondingly arranged near the side edges of the middle section G. The middle section G is also provided with an upholstered portion G4 which extends between the arm rests D and D when using the device as a table, so that lateral motion of the table top on the frame A is prevented (see Fig. 4). When the combined chair back and table top G is used as a chair back then the lower end of the middle section G is seated on a support J, secured to or forming part of the rear lower portion of the frame A.

The detailed construction of each of the connections E with the corresponding guideway F is as follows, special reference being had to Figs. 5, 6 and 7: A transas plainly indicated in verse pin E2 is mounted on the rear end of the corresponding arm rest D or D, and on the pin E2 is mounted to swing a plate E3 terminating in a head E4 extending in a groove F formed in the middle section Gr and covered by a slotted plate F2 through which extends the plate E3 so that the plate E3 and its head E4 form a pivotal connection for the combined chair back and tabletop and at the same time provide a sliding connection to permit of moving the combined chair back and table top lengthwise over the arm rests D and D .until the table top is in central position relative to the frame A, as will be readily understood by reference to Figs. 1 and 4.

In order to facilitate the sliding movement of the table top on the arm rests D and D, use is made of friction rollers E5 journaled on the pin E2 and arranged on opposite sides of the plate E3, the peripheral tops of the rollers E5 extending slightly above the upper surface of the corresponding arm rests D or D so as to be engaged by the covering plate F2 after swinging the chair back and table top G; into horizontal position. The peripheral faces of the rollers E5 and the coverin@ plate F2 are preferably roughened, as indicated' in Fig. 5, so as to prevent accidental slipping ofthe combined chair back and table top when moving the same into position as a table top or into position as a chair back. The middle posts C2, C3 of the sides C, C are preferably made hollow for containing tubular holders K and L, pro vided with hinged covers K and L normallypflush with the upper surface of the arm rests D and D.

The holder K is provided with Va tubular shell N removably held in the post C2 and provided a distance from the top with a hinged perforated plate N to form a support for matches or the like, and to allow ashes from the cigars or cigarettesto drop down into the lower portion of theV shell N.

The cover K is provided with a finger piece K2 at its rear end to allow the user of they chair to conveniently swing the cover K into an open position whenever it is desired to do so.

rlheholder L is adapted to contain a foldable book rest O, of any approved `construction, which when extended, as shown in Fig. 1, is supported on the top of the arm rest D to support a book or other reading matter within convenient reading distance of the user of the chair. When the book rest isnot in use, it is folded up and stored in the holder L so as to be completelyv out of the way, as will be readily understood by 'reference to Fig. 10. Y Y

When the combined chairback and table top Gr is used as a chair back, as indicated in Fig. 1, then `use is preferably fmade of a removable head P removably held on the upper end of the section G by the use of dowels or other suitable means, and on the top of the head P are arranged electric lamps Q, electrically connected with a central casing R (see Fig. 3) from which extend the wires S terminating in a plug S for connection with a source of electrical energy. Thus when the electricity is turned on and the lamps Q are lighted then a proper illumination is had of the reading matter supported on the bool: rest O or held in the hand of the user of the chair, to properly illuminate such reading matter.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the piece of furniture can be readily converted from a chair into a table or vice versa, and when in the form of a chair provision is made for supporting the reading matter for illumination and for accommodating cigar or cigarette ashes, burnedl matches and the like.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A convertible chair and table, comprising a frame having arm restsand a seat, a combined chair back and table top provided with guideways, slotted plates covering said guideways, a transverse pin on the rear end of each arm rest, a plate mounted to swing on each of said pins and extending through the corresponding slotted plate, the said swing plates terminating in transversely extending heads slidably engaging the said guideways, and friction rollers journaled on the said transverse pins on opposite sides of the swing plates and adapted to be engaged by said slotted plates when the said chair back and table top is swung into horizontal position.

2. A convertible chair and table, comprising a frame having horizontal arm rests and a seat, a combined chair back and table top provided with grooves forming guideways, pivotal connections on the rear ends of said arm rests and slidably engaging the said grooves, friction rollers mounted to turn on the arm rests at opposite sides of the said pivotal connections, the said friction rollers having their peripheral faces roughened, and slotted plates covering said grooves and through which extend the said pivotal connections, the said slotted plates having their outer faces roughened and adapted to travel on the said friction rollers.

3. A convertible chair and table, comprising a frame having arm rests and a seat, a combined chair back and table top being provided with longitudinal guideways, slotted plates covering said guideways and having roughened outer faces, a transverse pin on the rear endof each arm rest, a plate mounted to swing on each of said pins and extending through the corresponding slotted plate, the said swing plates terminating in transversely extending heads slidably engaging the said guideways, and friction rollers having their peripheral surfaces roughened and journaled on said transverse pins on opposite sides of the swing plates, the said rollers having. their peripheral surfaces eX- tending above the upper surface of the corresponding arm rest, and adapted to be engaged by the plates covering said guideways when the said chair back and table top 10 is swung into horizontal position.

Intestimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ISRAEL HOFFMAN.

W'itnesses:

THEO. G. HosTER, PHILIP D. RoLLr-IAUS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

